Behind local badges, military might

How did Sarasota officers get Humvees, or Manatee agencies get M-16 rifles of the sort found in battle?

By ELIZABETH JOHNSONelizabeth.johnson@heraldtribune.com

Two Humvees formerly used by the U.S. military have a new home, the Sarasota Police Department. And not everyone sees them as a good fit.

Police Chief Bernadette DiPino supports the military surplus, saying the large but lightweight and mobile four-wheel-drive tactical vehicles will be “very useful and practical” as rescue vehicles during hurricanes or intense flooding, or as protection from active shooters or other dangers.

But in the wake of unrest in Ferguson, Missouri, where a heavily armed police force has clashed with protesters and rioters, critics ranging from Tea Party Republicans to liberal Democrats are questioning what they say is a militarization of the police.

“The equipment is far in excess of what would be needed for any kind of civil disobedience,” said Michael Barfield of Sarasota, vice president of the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida. “Police officers think it's cool to ride around in an armored Humvee or other type of vehicles that are like tanks.

“When it's offered for virtually free or no additional cost, it's all the more enticing.”

Beyond the Sarasota force, law enforcement agencies around the area, and nationally, have been acquiring military equipment since the 1990s. That's when the National Defense Authorization Act created the 1033 program, which allowed for excess Department of Defense property to be obtained by law enforcement.

Law enforcement agencies in Sarasota County received six rifles in 2008 and three grenade launchers in 2007 through the surplus program. Agencies in Manatee County acquired 144 M-16 rifles in 2010, and a helicopter in 2008, according to the Department of Defense.

Wendy Rose, spokeswoman for the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office, said the grenade launchers were obtained by a former administration and have since been returned to the surplus program for transfer to another agency; the force had no use for the weapons.

In Manatee County, some of the patrol deputies are armed with the M-16s — a standard military-issue rifle known for its adaptability and accuracy, according to Dave Bristow, agency spokesman.

Initially, the aim behind dispersing surplus military equipment to police was to provide resources to counter drug activities, but it has broadened to include helping in all arrest and apprehension efforts, according to the Law Enforcement Support Office.

The program allows for agencies to get equipment ranging from filing cabinets to weapons, all at little to no cost.

The Sarasota Police Department spent $1,000 each on the Humvees, which are being painted and should be unveiled in October. The department would not provide more information on the vehicles.

“We definitely wouldn't be able to afford some of these vehicles,” DiPino said. “It's a great way to have a partnership with federal allies and the military when they don't have use of this equipment that has a law enforcement use.”

In Ferguson, tear gas, rubber bullets and armored vehicles have been used to counter riots after a police officer shot and killed unarmed Michael Brown on Aug. 9.

“I don't see the need for traditional police departments to deploy this type of equipment,” Barfield said. “In situations like Ferguson where you see military vehicles deployed by the agency accused of taking someone's life, that adds an element you don't want or need.”

A report by the ACLU in June said police agencies had become “excessively militarized,” with officers using training and equipment designed for battlefields on city streets. The report found the goods transferred through the military surplus program rose in value from $1 million in 1990 to nearly $450 million in 2013, The Associated Press reported.

The Senate Armed Services Committee plans to review the program to determine if the surplus equipment is being used as intended.

DiPino said law enforcement agencies aren't being militarized, but are prepared as the front line of homeland security, citing terroristic incidents like the Boston Marathon bombing.

“You don't have military sitting around the corner ready to perform,” DiPino said. “Police need to have that equipment to respond right away.”

Barfield says that the National Guard should be called in when situations go beyond what local law enforcement agencies can handle.

State Rep. Darryl Rouson, D-St. Petersburg, who represents parts of Manatee and Sarasota counties, including the minority communities of Newtown and Memphis, said he sees both sides of the issue.

“Law enforcement needs to be able to match force with force. They need to be able to carry out their duties safely,” Rouson said. “On the other side, inappropriate or heavy-handed use by law enforcement only feeds the distrust that exists in our communities.”

The Florida Department of Managements Services oversees 189 agencies around the state that participate in the federal program.

DiPino said that it's important to have a good relationship with the community to prevent situations like the one still unfolding in Ferguson, but that if those circumstances do arise, police have to be ready and equipped to respond.

“It's a balance,” DiPino said. “You have to be authoritative but not brutal. It's a fine line.”

DiPino said she does study and analyze situations like the one in Ferguson to determine how a similar incident might be handled locally.

. “One thing we can do, and I've been working on, is community partnership — building relationships, trust, knowledge.”

Rouson said another key to preventing a similar situation is to create more opportunities through education, employment and transportation for minorities.

“We need to look at what we are currently doing and beef it up,” Rouson said. “We need to be unafraid to have discussions about distrust that exists between minority communities and law enforcement.

“We certainly need more sensitivity on the part of law enforcement when dealing with unarmed people.”

Citing the deaths of Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown and Rodney Mitchell — who was fatally shot by deputies in Sarasota County, Rouson said minorities are frustrated that young black men continue to be killed.